Hybrid Microgrid to Power and Save Off-Grid Business Money in US Virgin Islands

An offgrid commercial facility on Saint Croix in the US Virgin Islands is installing a hybrid microgrid to help reduce its energy costs and emissions while ensuring it has aceess to reliable power. The microgrid will combine solar power from six 33 kilowatt photovoltaic arrays, a 300 kilowatt-hour battery storage system and three existing 135 kilowatt diesel generators.

Six of Ideal Power’s Stabiliti 30C3 multiport power conversion systems will be deployed to integrate power sources, enabling bi-directional energy flow between solar, energy storage and diesel in one system. "Our technology is enabling the deployment of clean, cost-effective and efficient power generation in areas where there is no reliable grid available," said Dan Brdar, CEO of Ideal Power. "Thanks to our multiport technology, our six power conversion units will run in parallel to integrate solar, storage and diesel into a hybrid microgrid that will support cost effective power generation around the clock."

The instability of the electric grid throughout the Caribbean, combined with high electricity prices because of reliance on diesel, has hindered economic growth, according to the International Monetary Fund’s report Caribbean Energy: Macro-Related Challenges. The average price of electricity in the Caribbean is 50 cents per kilowatt-hour, while average rates in the US are about 14 cents per kilowatt-hour. As a result, companies interested in doing business throughout the Caribbean are reluctant to do so because of the additional investments needed to improve the grid and deploy reliable power sources.

"This project represents a very smart move by an off-grid business," said John Merritt, director of applications engineering at Ideal Power. "Shifting to clean energy will offset costs and enable the business to focus on providing the best experience for its customers. We are optimistic that more island businesses and residences will see the potential of renewable energy systems to boost energy conservation and save on costs.”

The development of solar and other renewable energy hybrid microgrids on the Virgin Islands and throughout the Caribbean will reduce energy costs and cut greenhouse emissions. Other than relying on the inconsistent power from the grid, a substantial number of commercial and residential buildings use diesel generators for their source of electricity and back-up power in case of grid failure.

Ideal Power’s Stabiliti 30C3 multiport power conversion system is grid resilient and allows the combination of solar and conventional energy sources to generate and store electricity to function as a microgrid or a grid support system. The three port system functions with 50HZ and 60Hz international capability.

The following system would zero out your power bill and the savings shown would be made over the life of the system

ESTIMATEDSYSTEM*

ESTIMATEDSAVINGS*

Now get live pricing!

How it works: When you enter your details we display a more detailed online estimate. We then
seek live pricing from installers for the size of system you need. Live pricing data is an installer's most
commercially sensitive information and so this is why we are required to validate your name,
address and phone number. If we cannot validate this information your estimate will only
include historical pricing from past installations.

Get Live Pricing from:
Number of Installers: 3 2 1 Historical Prices Only

* Estimates are based on standard costs for utility power and installations in your zipcode and
may vary from the detailed estimate that you will receive once you enter your contact
information below. Calculations are based on a 100% loan over 20 years, with a 25 year payback,
4.5% loan rate, and 3% per year inflation in electricity prices.

TCPA Disclosure: By clicking the above "estimate my system"
button you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and authorize Solar-Estimate.org or our
chosen solar installer/s to use the phone number entered to verify the accuracy of the ballpark
estimate given by the site and give you an accurate quote. Some installers may use
auto-diallers or send automated text messages if they cannot contact you and these may
result in charges to you. You consent to receiving these communications even if the phone
number entered above is on the "Do not Call" register.